FIVE of the toughest players in the Premier League today

Over the years we’ve seen some real bruisers grace the Premier League. The likes of Vinnie Jones, Duncan Ferguson, Roy Keane and Stuart Pearce all loved a good tackle, followed by the inevitable scrap.

The question is – who are today’s tough guys?

I’ve had a think, and I’ve whittled it down to FIVE players.

5) Daniel Agger

Agger is a strategic tackler. If you watch him closely, he bides his time, stalking the attacker, before making a stinging tackle.

There’s no such thing as a ‘lost cause’ in Agger’s playing style. He will chase every ball and hunt down his man tirelessly.

The Skrtel-Agger partnership - dubbed ‘the great wall of Anfield’- has to be the most fearsome defensive duo in the Premier League.

Not only do they look like they’ve escaped from a mental hospital, but they also tackle like maniacs.

Agger, for me, is tougher of the two. He's a merciless player that loves to give strikers a torrid time.

4) Ryan Shawcross

Stoke City’s number 17 is probably most famous for his horror tackle on Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey. These things do happen in football unfortunately, but he’s not one of my top five for that.

He’s here, because of his aggression and spirit whilst playing.

Besides his sometimes reckless tackles, he ticks all the boxes.

He's strong, extremely crafty and a master of those last ditched interceptions that have proven pivotal in the game many a time.

It’s only a matter of time before a bigger club comes along.

3) Sandro

At only 24, Sandro shows signs of a seasoned veteran, and when fit, acts as the heartbeat to Tottenham's team.

He really commands the midfield, dictates the speed of play to his liking and thrives off breaking down the opposition.

So, why’s he so tough?

If you didn’t already know, Sandro is something of a Martial Artist.

His teammates posted a clip on Twitter last year of the Brazilian showing off his roundhouse kicks in the changing room.

You can check it out below.

If you ask me, I’d say he’s ‘a few cards short of a deck’ - the very reason why I wouldn't like to come up against him.

2) Vincent Kompany

Big Vince is a fine example of tough tackling and relentless defending.

On his day, he holds the Man City defence together and rarely puts a foot out of step.

Kompany is a no nonsense defender that will do everything to win the ball back and get it as far forward as possible.

His focus and hunger to win games is inspirational. At times, the big Belgian can really get overheated - a bit too passionate and charge in with some body-breaking challenges.

But that's just the way he is, a real unit at the back for City.

He's not in the greatest form of his life at the moment, but with injuries aside, I'm sure he'll come back stronger than ever next season.

1) Nemanja Vidic

Despite the injuries that have made Vidic a bit of a stranger to the Premier League as of late, he is still my number one tough guy.

The tough tackling Serbian came from Spartak Moscow virtually unknown with a far less commanding physical presence.

After Sir Alex Ferguson worked his magic on him however, Vidic transformed in to a machine.

He was assassinating attackers with his brute strength and even offering his aerial services on set pieces.

I just don’t think he cares about getting hurt or hurting anyone on the pitch. His clear disregard for his health wins him the award of Premier League’s toughest player.

We’d all love to see Manchester United’s lethal weapon injury-free, making those opposition attackers work for their money.

Who are your tough guys?

So there are my five tough guys that I think have the physical (and mental) dominance over any other Premier League player at the moment.

Feel free to add your players in the comment section below, explaining why you think they should be in this list.